Thanks to NetGalley and Vanita Books for allowing an advanced read of this book.

Kudos to the illustrator for doing his best to match the time period that the letters would have been received.

This picture book should bring calm and support to children at home waiting for their parents to return from war. Sometimes we forget how necessary this type of book is for children. I'm glad you remembered and shared it with us.

I did not realize this was a children's book. With that said , I thought the book was beautifully written. I enjoyed the time period an that the author was writing from her own family history.

This is a wonderfully illustrated picture book about a boy who is scared and sad because his mother has been deployed, who talks to his grandpa about his feelings. His grandfather tells him of how he felt when his own dad was deployed during WWII and shows him postcards that his father sent. What's especially touching about the book is that the book shows actual postcards that were sent home by the author's father, which are sweet, silly and loving. The boy and grandfather have good discussions about why there are wars, whether there can someday be no more wars, how to get through the time waiting for his mother and so on. The illustrations are very well done and the book does an excellent job of talking about war without glamorizing it. I also appreciated that the author has grandpa talk about how his father said he was now the man of the house and not to cry but that nowadays we know that it's better not to try to bottle up our feelings.

All profits from the book go towards a charity that provides for military families in times of need.

My Review: I was instantly drawn to this book with the vintage looking cover and the title. I am so glad I was able to pick this book up and read it. I love the way that this book is not only able to give a link to the families with soldiers overseas but also to link the experiences of past generations with those of this generation. While the method and location of war has changed over the years, the impact to those both abroad and those at home has not. Even though we have the technology to connect instantaneously around the world, there is still nothing quite like having something to hold in your hand that has been held by your loved one far away. This was a beautiful story and a great book for all ages.

My Rating: I thoroughly enjoyed this book, the illustrations are great and the soft edges fit well with the sentimental/memory feel of the story. It has a great message and I think many others will really enjoy it. I give it a rating of Four Paws!!

Thank you so much Net gallery and the publisher for this downloadable book. I found this a very realistic and moving book seen through the eyes of a child with a parent in the service. My dad was in Vietnam and also wrote postcards, that I still have today. I enjoyed that the young boy and his grandfather bonded over memories. Passing down family history to future generations connects us through this massive universe and helped this grandfather/grandson connect on a deeper level. I think this is age appropriate without getting to much into the details of war. I think this would be an excellent edition to any library.

This is a lovely book about a boy and his grandfather and their experiences of having a loved one go off to war. Matthew is upset when his mother has to go away and is comforted by his grandfather and the letters he had received from his father who fought in World War II. The author cleverly weaves the story around postcards that she was sent by her own father during WWII and explains the backstory at the end of the book. This would be a great book to help explain to younger children that sometimes people have to go away even if they don't really understand why.

Postcards from a War was one of the most beautiful children's books I have read. I enjoyed the story and the way it was written to make the concept of war understandable for 4-8-year-olds.

This is a book that can make having a difficult conversation with a child a little easier, by guiding the discussion and allowing the child to relate and visualize with the characters. This also could be a good picture book to read with kids or students on Veteran's Day.

The illustrations were mesmerizing and very important to look at as well, especially the postcards.

Postcards From a War is overall a great book for children of military families. The multigenerational approach is powerfully evocative. The illustrations are beautiful and the colors reflect the tone of the book well. Oelschlager did a great job with this story.

This book is great for any child who has a family member in the military. The main character talks to his father about his experience having a parent in the military & struggles to understand why his own mother decided to serve in the military. I would include this book in classroom libraries to discuss letter writing, war, and what war/military has changed throughout the years.

I love this book and will purchase a copy for myself. I loved that the book helps explain to military children that their parent(s) are fighting for a better world for them. I also love that it teaches that just because someone is far away, does not mean that you can't communicate with one another. You can use snail mail to talk with one another or you can use modern technology such as email and phone calls to talk no matter how many miles separate you.

3.5 stars

Postcards From a War follows the story of a grandfather telling the story of his father who served in WW2 to comfort his grandson whose mother has been deployed into the Air Force. While it discussed the concept of war and the duty of soldiers in a way for young readers to understand, I feel as if it was a bit too simple and dumbed down. I did, however, like the illustrations throughout the book- it brilliantly captured the emotions of the story. Additionally, the author's note was a nice touch, it was so interesting to learn about the people who inspired this book!

*Thank you to NetGalley and Vanita Books publishers for providing a free ARC

This was a sweet book, and I especially loved the multigenerational element. I think that this would be a great book for young readers.

Vanita Oelschlager's Postcards From a War is powerful and emotional. The author does exemplary work with combining images, both photographic and illustrated, with text. There is enough text here to provide challenge and interest for young readers, as well. A polished, professional book that would make a nice addition to classroom and school libraries.

Received as an electronic ARC from VanitaBooks, LLC via NetGalley.

While a little wordy in relation to the imagery, I feel like this book really captured the dialogue between a grandfather and his grandson as they discuss having parental figures who are away at war. This is definitely a difficult topic to address with children. I feel like the addition of reproductions of postcards and letters added significantly to the story and made the discussion more real and applicable to all family dynamics. While my library is not able to receive a large number of small publishing house books, I hope this title finds its way in.

This short book tells the story of Matthew who's mother went to war. His grandpa helps him to understand that: wars happen because of various reasons, that is normal to feel sad and even to cry when you miss your dear ones, to do something creative and useful while waiting for the return of loved ones from where they left.
The book is written as a dialogue between Matthew and his grandfather, and the Matthew's questions are the questions that every child in the same situation could ask.
I think this book can be a good start for discussions about war, about dear ones that are far away, about loss of somebody very close.

Vanita Oelschlager has quickly become an author I have added to my to-read list. This was a beautiful, touching well-written book.

Postcards from a War is a graphic novel intended to inform young readers about war and the role played by those soldiers whose role is to protect others around the world. I liked the multi-generational approach of a grandfather telling his grandson about how he felt after his father left to serve in WWII. Charmingly illustrated, this book is geared to four- to eight-year-olds who have a parent currently serving in the military.

I received a copy of this novel from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is a great book for kids! When parent's leave for deployments it can be really hard to understand, especially when you are not talking to them every day like you are accustomed to.

The postcards that his grandfather shares with him are treasured memories, Before email and cell phones, postcards and letters would be sent back and forth, often taking a very long time to arrive. This was how communication could continue while away during a war.

We read this out loud together and my boys enjoyed the book immensely. They thought it was interesting to learn about the different ways people would keep in touch, especially as they have been through multiple deployments in our home.

Highly recommend this book!

Cute little book. Would not recommend. The illustrations were good, but this book was lacking something. I think it needed historical pictures or vintage pictures to go along with the text.

I always appreciate finding children's books about deployed parents because when I was growing up, I wanted more books to relate to. I would probably recommend this book for kids 8 and up.

"Postcards From a War" does a good job about talking about the complexities of war in general and the way that people are always hurt by war.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.